Barber County Kansas

Bill Franklin Garten

Bill F. Garten. 

Photo courtesy of Bonnie (Garten) Shaffer.
Bill F. Garten.
Photo courtesy of Bonnie (Garten) Shaffer.


The Barber County Index, December 18, 2002.

BILL F. GARTEN

Bill F. Garten, 77, died December 12, 2002, at Hutchinson Hospital, Hutchinson. He was born April 18, 1925 at Medicine Lodge, the son of Frank James Garten and Arvilla Anna (Farley) Garten. A lifetime resident of Medicine Lodge, he was a farmer. He retired after 20 years as Barber County Appraiser.

He served in the U.S. Army, Pacific Theater 1943-1946.

He belonged to the United Methodist Church, VFW, and Rural Water Association, all of Medicine Lodge.

On August 18, 1946 at Kiowa, he married Betty Jane Harbaugh. She survives.

Other survivors include: son, Jerry E. Garten, Medicine Lodge; daughter, Nance E. and husband Steve D. Carr, Olathe; brother Bob Garten, Medicine Lodge; two grandchildren, Shane S. and wife Mandy L. Carr, Medicine Lodge, and Stephanie M. and husband Nick D. Babcock, Olathe, and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother Harold Garten.

Funeral services were held Monday, December 16, 2002, at United Methodist Church, Medicine Lodge, with Rev. Marc McDonald presiding. Burial was in Highland Cemeter, Medicine Lodge.

Memorials may be sent to Barber County Veterans Memorial Wall, United Methodist Women, or Highland Cemetery, all in care of Larrison-Forsyth Funeral Home, Medicine Lodge.


The Chosen Land: Barber County, Kansas, page 188.

Bill Garten

Billy (Bill) Franklin Garten, son of Franklin (Frank) James Garten and Arvilla Anna (Farley) Garten, was born 1925 at home west of Medicine Lodge. His father died in 1927 from an appendectomy. His mother, two brothers, Harold and Robert (Bob), moved to Medicine Lodge with her parents, then later to their home on North Walnut.

Bill was active in school plays, football, and tennis. He was one of seven out of 39 in the 1943 graduating class that started to school together. He worked at jobs in spare time. He served 2 1/2 years in WWII and returned to work on Lucky Kumberg farm, then on Wes Long's farm.

In 1946 Bill married Betty Jane (Harbaugh), born 1926 at home south of Gerlane, daughter of Uly and Mabel (Hensley) Harbaugh. She had three brothers, Albert, James (Jim), Jacob (Jake), one sister, Mollie (Mrs. Robert Watts), two half-sisters, Faye (Mrs. Lester Gilmore) and Ruth (Mrs. Luke Chapin). She attended Gerlane Grade School, graduated from Medicine Lodge High School in 1944, attended Northwestern State College, Alva, Oklahoma, taught school at Mound Center and Gerlane.

In 1949 they had a daughter, Nancy Ellen, born Hardtner, Kansas. In 1952 they moved southwest of Cherokee, Oklahoma, to work on a farm. They had a son, Jerry Edward, born in 1954 at Cherokee, Oklahoma. They moved back to Kansas in 1955, north of Medicine Lodge to rent a farm. While Jerry was in high school, they raised hogs, which he used for a project. They had cattle, chickens, and a horse.

In 1966 Betty helped Marjorie Bradley organize the Daycare Nursery School at the Methodist Church basement. In 1968 they moved to town. Betty worked full time for a few years, then part-time. Bill started working in 1969 as Deputy Assessor, then County Appraiser in 1978, but still keeping a few cows and calves on a farm south of town.

Nancy and Jerry attended school and graduated from Medicine Lodge High School. Nancy received a 2-year Secretarial Course from Northwestern State College, Alva, Oklahoma. In 1970 Nancy married Steve Carr. They have two children, Shane and Stephanie. Jerry received a 2 year General Science Course at Pratt Community College. He works at National Gypsum Company as a Wet End Leader. His hobby is fishing.

Bill and Betty have enjoyed working with Barber County citizens during the Peace Treaty Pageants. They have helped in various scenes in the past and now help with the registration.


Arvilla Anna (Farley) Garten, mother of of Bill Franklin Garten.

Betty Jane Harbaugh, wife of Bill F. Garten.

Franklin J. "Frank" Garten, father of Bill F. Garten.

Robert Dale "Bob" Garten, brother of Bill F. Garten.

Harold Herbert Garten, brother of brother of Bill F. Garten.

Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas, burial place of Franklin James "Frank" Garten's parents and some of his siblings.

Photographs: Barber County Men & Women With The Armed Forces, WWII, The Barber County Index, 24 Aug 1944 - 28 Dec 1944.


Thanks to Bonnie (Garten) Shaffer for contributing the above image and information to this web site!




Last Updated:  

Barber County Home page